PETERBOROUGH will continue their late season push for the play-offs when they host Eastbourne at the Showground tonight.

PETERBOROUGH will continue their late season push for the play-offs when they host Eastbourne at the Showground tonight.

The Readypower Panthers currently sit in fifth place in the Elite League table just three-points behind the third-placed Eagles and only one-point adrift of Birmingham, who have moved into fourth in the past week.

With Poole and Swindon guaranteed their play-off dates it is now a four-team race for the final two spots, with sixth-placed Lakeside also very much in the equation.

After Monday, Panthers still have three away fixtures to come before the September 19 cut-off for play-off qualification, namely at Lakeside, Belle Vue and Coventry - so know that every point is vital now and will be looking for a maximum return from their final home meeting of the regular season.

They did look set to go into it with a full-strength team with Michael Jepsen Jensen expected to return after missing Thursday’s bumper home win against Lakeside complaining of back pain. X-rays have revealed no serious damage, with rest helping his recovery over the past few days.

Another returnee is skipper Linus Sundstrom who was absent on Thursday whilst competing in the Swedish play-offs.

But Tomas H. Jonasson is out after crashing in Poland yesterday, Josh Auty replaces him.

Eastbourne will track their usual seven which includes no less that three ex-Panthers in Joonas Kymakorpi, Lewis Bridger and Lukas Dryml.

The Sussex Eagles have had another good campaign after going all the way to the 2011 Play-Off Final - and are in mix again this year in third place.

This makes it an important fixture for both teams as with things so close in the table and matches running out, Eagles desperately need to get something from the fixture to keep their own play-off hopes alive.

Panthers co-boss Jan Staechmann said: “This is another important meeting and one we need to be looking to take the maximum three points from.

“It’s very tight in the race for the play-offs with four teams chasing the final two places, so every point is going to be vital.

“We’re very good at home and will start as favourites, but we won’t be taking them lightly as they do have a few former Peterborough riders in their side.

“We’re getting into the business end of the season now with the play-offs almost upon us, so it’s time to make that final push.”

PETERBOROUGH: Ryan Sullivan, Norbert Kosciuch, Michael Jepsen Jensen, Linus Sundstrom, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Richard Lawson, Josh Auty.

EASTBOURNE: Joonas Kylmakorpi, Timo Lahti, Simon Gustafsson, Cameron Woodward, Lewis Bridger, Lukas Dryml, Denis Gizatullin.

NEW COVENTRY DATE

PETERBOROUGH have re-arranged their away Elite League fixture against Coventry for Wednesday, September 19 (7.30pm).

The match was initially rained-off on August Bank Holiday Monday and will now take place at Brandon on the final day of the cut-off for play-off qualification, with the Readypower Panthers very much in the battle for a top-four place.